Fate
by SailorVegeta13
Summary: Princess Ichigo will have to marry whoever wins the tournament: Prince Kisshu or Prince Masaya. She's never met them before—or has she? Meanwhile, her genius brother Ryou has come up with something that will change everyone's lives...
1. Princess

_A/N: So this is a new story (yes, I realize I have three barely-started stories). Ideas just pop out of nowhere, and I absolutely have to get them down. Besides, this method should be a pretty good counter for writer's block :)_

Chapter One: Princess

"Chin up, Ichigo," commanded Queen Zakuro. "A princess does not slouch."

The red-haired princess, who bore resemblance to neither the king nor the queen, only sighed. She felt that she had the right to slouch, especially today of all days. After all, she had to marry the victor of today's tournament!

Three princes from other kingdoms, whom she'd never even met before, would be competing for her hand in marriage today. Princess Ichigo had no say in this; it was marry one of them or be responsible for a war that tore her parents' country even further apart. The feud had gone on so long that it was a miracle that all three parties had agreed to the deal.

The princess knew this very well. That didn't mean she had to like it, though, and she was absolutely not happy with what this meant for her. _I'm not even a real princess_, she told herself stubbornly. _Why should I have to—_

At the sound of the door opening, she whirled around, faster than was proper for nobility. Sulking was unladylike, just like pretty much everything she did, and being caught at it was unspeakable.

"Relax, it's just me." Her older brother flicked long blond locks out of his face as he regarded her calmly. He never seemed to be out of his depth.

Prince Ryou wasn't actually her brother, nor was he a real prince. Not by blood, anyway. Queen Zakuro hadn't given birth to either of them, either. Both the prince and princess were adopted—not that anyone knew that. Of course it was a secret of the matter-of-national-security level that the heir to the throne wasn't actually related to the king.

Neither of them could remember a time when they'd been part of a different family, though. They'd been adopted pretty much since infanthood to be brought up as royals. The two got on exceptionally well.

Ichigo sighed, relaxing the perfect posture she'd adopted the second she realized she wasn't alone. Ryou was one of the few people she could let down her guard and be unprincess-y around. He wouldn't rat her out—mostly because he was as lax about proper etiquette as she was. Only, being a boy, his behavior wasn't under such strict surveillance.

"So, it's today?" Ryou clarified.

"Sadly, yes." Even though she trusted him immeasurably, Ichigo hesitated before confiding, "I can't do this."

"Neither can I," came the serious reply.

The leaders of the other two clans each had at least one son and one daughter. Whichever clan's son _didn't_ win the princess's hand in marriage would be allowed to marry into the royal family. In other words, today's tournament affected both Princess Ichigo and Prince Ryou.

"I can't believe Father would do this to me," Ichigo lamented bitterly, her fingers toying with an ornately carved hairbrush. "Mother, perhaps. But Father never seemed to care that I even existed."

"He's been busy" was the quick defense. Ryou got on exceptionally well with King Keiichiro.

Her gaze returning to the mirror, Ichigo began brushing her shoulder-length ruby locks. "I know. He always seems distracted during banquets these days, and the two of you haven't gone hunting in a while." The princess was hardly unobservant; she just preferred to keep things to herself.

"Well, if you can do it, I can do it."

Dropping the hairbrush, Ichigo glared at Ryou. "What exactly is that supposed to mean?"

Instead of replying, the prince offered his sister a necklace strung with a golden pendant. "Father and I have been working on something. It's—"

At that exact moment, trumpet fanfare announced the arrival of Prince Kisshu and Princess Retasu, Prince Masaya and Princess Minto. And both royal entourages.

Ryou stopped in the doorway to warn Ichigo, "Don't take that off, whatever you do. I can't promise it'll keep you safe, but it shouldn't harm you either. Trust me."

The teenage girl put on the necklace, tucking it under her dress. The metal was pleasantly warm, to her surprise. Well, the prince _was_ a verified genius.

Taking a last look in her mirror, Princess Ichigo left her room, careful not to lift her long pink skirts higher than was proper.

_A/N: I'm not really a Zakuro x Keiichiro fan, but I figured that it would work since the two of them are kind of like parental figures to the others. Let me know if you think I should add Pudding, Taruto, and Pai. Please review!  
_


	2. Childhood Memories

_A/N: To avoid any further confusion, let me clarify. Princess Retasu is Lettuce—Prince Kisshu's sister. Princess Minto is the younger sister of Prince Masaya. (Yes, I did base it on hair color. I'm not trying to be color-ist or anything; I just thought it would make more sense.)_

Chapter Two: Childhood Memories

The head of the royal guard bowed low. "Prince Kisshu, we have arrived."

"Hn" was the bored response. The teenage prince didn't even turn to acknowledge the man.

"K-kisshu-nii? Do you th-think Prince R-ryou will be nice?" the princess asked tentatively.

"Does it matter? _I_ will win this tournament, so it does not make a difference_—_except to Princess Minto." There was plenty of derision in the way Prince Kisshu pronounced the name. After all, everyone knew that dark-haired princess was a snob.

"I suppose so," mused Retasu. She knew better than to mention Prince Masaya.

* * *

"Prince Masaya, welcome. Right this way, please."

The black-haired prince smiled charmingly. _Oh, they really didn't exaggerate about his good looks,_ swooned the maidservant.

Once he was led into a chamber to prepare himself for the coming challenge, Masaya immediately let his elegant red-lined cloak fall to the ground.

"Onii-sama! It will get dirty if you do that," huffed his younger sister, who had special-ordered the cloak after poring over fabrics and patterns for _weeks_.

The fourteen-year-old heir to the throne sighed, a tolerantly exasperated look in his golden-brown eyes. "My apologies, Minto. Have you seen the prince yet? The other one, I mean?"

"Yes. He is absolutely _gorgeous_," breathed the girl. "His blond hair that is too long, but it looks _so_ good on him. Those _breathtaking_ sky-blue eyes. That tragic, forced-to-grow-up to fast _expression_..."

The prince turned to frown at her. "Who are you talking about, again?"

"Prince Ryou, of course. I have no doubt that you will win. And when you win, Prince Ryou will become my betrothed, will he not?"

Her brother turned this over in his mind. "I guess so."

* * *

Trumpeters announced the four royals as they entered the throne room. Only a select few members of their guard were allowed; this was supposed to be a friendly, peaceful gathering. Bringing many guards would signal distrust; bringing too few guards was like wearing a sign saying "Please attack me."

"Prince Kisshu, Prince Masaya, Princess Retasu, Princess Minto_—_welcome," Queen Zakuro greeted the guests.

The princes bowed and the princesses curtsied. Prince Ryou whispered something to the king, who shook his head apologetically.

"So what will the challenges be?" Prince Kisshu asked politely.

Princess Ichigo jumped in before her mother could say anything. "A series of physical tests, and a few of deportment." Her eyes met his. _I feel like I know him...from somewhere..._

"I see. Thank you, princess." _She looks really familiar. Wait...! Could it be...?_

Ryou stepped closer to his sister to whisper in her ear. "Do you think it's _him_?"

"Who?" she breathed curiously.

"The boy...the one you used to pick wild strawberries with...?"

* * *

_Seven years ago_

A redheaded girl ran through the sun-soaked forest. Her fancy slippers were safely stashed in a tree, and it felt _so_ good to be barefooted. Admittedly she was still wearing that fussy, fancy-shmancy gold-edged white summer gown. But it had been one of her brother's conditions: if she didn't wear it, he wouldn't let him come with him.

Speaking of her brother... "Ryou, hurry up!"

"I'm coming!" came the slightly-irritated response. Normally the blonde was hotheaded, but no one could be angry in this forest. It was just too... magical. It just had some sort of charm that made you want to shut up and just savor the moment.

"Oof! Oh, I'm so sorry!" The girl had run into someone_—_another girl about her own age, with pale green hair and big blue eyes, sparkling behind large round glasses. Ichigo noticed that the other girl's dress was too fancy to be a peasant's. Maybe she was a merchant's daughter_—_surely even craftsmen couldn't afford such nice cloth?

"It's okay," replied the mysterious green-haired girl. "What are you doing here?" Her tone wasn't cautious or demanding_—_it was simply the innocent curiosity natural to most children her age.

Ryou came up behind his sister. "Oh, hello. We come here a lot," he lied. Immediately sensing (with his child's instinct) that he could trust her with everything he held dear_—_his sister and his secrets_—_he confided, "There's a really amazing patch of wild strawberries. I can show you where it is."

"Really?" Their new friend's eyes lit up.

He smiled_—_a real, true smile. The kind that usually only his younger sister could coax him into. "Yeah."

The other girl hesitated. "Um...can I bring my brother?" She glanced deeper into the forest. "He's off exploring somewhere...he loves strawberries."

The red-haired princess glanced at her brother. Ryou barely hesitated before replying, "Sure."

The girl ran off, reappearing a few minutes later with a boy about a head taller than her. He had green hair too, but it was darker than hers. As for his eyes, they were completely different_—_a clear, brilliant amber. "Yo."

"Hi, I'm Ichigo," chirped the white-gowned princess. "What's your name?"

The boy's cheerful, friendly expression became a bit more guarded. "I'm Kish. This is my sister Reta."

The bespectacled girl's blue eyes looked a little uncomfortable. "So..." she turned to Ryou. "What's your name?"

"Shiro." It wasn't exactly a lie_—_his last name was Shirogane, after all. But even though he knew this girl wouldn't harm him on purpose, he was less sure about her brother.

There was an awkward pause of the species almost foreign to such young children.

"Well, anyway... I promised Ichigo and Reta I'd show them the best strawberry patch in the forest," Ryou told Kish. "Wanna come?"

* * *

From the way the other four looked at each other_—_with diplomatically guarded expressions and a hint of familiarity_—_Masaya and Minto could guess that something was up.

"What do you think is going on, Onii-sama?" The dark-haired princess whispered to her brother.

The brown-eyed prince didn't answer. His brow was furrowed as he looked at the red-haired princess for the first time.

Well, it wasn't _exactly_ the first time. He'd seen her before_—_but he hadn't known she was a princess, just like she hadn't known he was a prince.

He heard Prince Ryou murmur something about picking strawberries, and scowled. _Ichigo... don't you remember me? Your friend Aoyama?_

* * *

Ichigo covertly_—_well, it was covert _in her opinion_ at least_—_stared at the green-haired prince until the other boy caught her eye.

Dark hair, brown eyes, tanned skin... Surely it wasn't _him_? It couldn't be!

Noticing the focus of his sister's attention, Ryou contained a sigh. If he'd known today was going to be so full of surprises, he'd have told Ichigo more about the pendant he'd given her_—_and, more importantly, what it could do.

_A/N: As always, review please, ideas welcome. (Flames and anonymous reviews are okay too.) Sorry to all Mint/Minto fans; I like her too and I know she's not really like that. But she's the most likely to be bratty, and I really wanted to throw in a character like that. Their dialogue is fun to write, after all ^^_

_Thanks for reading. Oh and before I end—if you've got ideas for the kingdom names, by all means _please_ tell me! I have no clue what to call the kingdoms!_


	3. Wings

_A/N: Thanks to Mewfantasticgirl for some really great ideas! This chapter is probably overdue—I keep getting caught up in Another World and my newer ideas. Don't worry though; I promise to give this story more time so that it can catch up to the others._

Chapter Three: Wings

Catching sight of her reflection in a puddle, nine-year-old Princess Ichigo groaned silently. _Not again_.

Craning her neck to look behind her, she was extremely shocked to see actual downy white feathers on her back, curving out and away from her spine. _They're real this time!_ "Wow," she breathed.

An idea hit her, and she managed to lift and drop one angel wing. It caught the glistening morning sunlight beautifully—to say that it was colorless would be completely incorrect, because the feathers seemed to glisten with all the colors of the rainbow, and others too. Gorgeous turquoises, pale oranges, frosty pinks, rich greens—all these different hues, and many, many more, were evident in the coloring of each and every feather. Each "white" feather was colorful and exquisite, and unique as a snowflake.

Footsteps and cracking branches reached her ears, and the redhead felt her heart skip a beat.

_What will happen if someone finds me like this?_ She began running through the (extremely short) list of people who could possibly find her out here. _Ryou probably would just ask if he could have a single feather to dissect and analyze in that lab of his. I'm not sure what Reta would do or say...but I'm sure I can trust her; she's really sweet. As for Kish..._ As the other person grew nearer, she recognized the general sound and pattern of his footfalls. _Well, I guess I'll find out soon._

The green-haired boy barely blinked as he took in his friend's changed appearance. Carefully he constructed a witty remark that she would love.

At last he came up with: "Ne, Koneko-chan. I always knew you were an angel...why choose now to prove it?"

"I—I don't know where they came from," she murmured, barely taking in what he'd said.

Momentary disappointment flashed across the boy's face, too brief for her to notice. "Really? When did this happen?"

Quiet footsteps reached their ears. Moments later, a tall blonde entered the clearing.

Ryou blinked, temporarily stunned, by the feathers his sister had grown. "Ichigo—what happened?" He glared suspiciously at Kish.

The redhead reached up and plucked a pearly feather from her right wing, wincing slightly as it came free. She held it out to her brother. "Here. Do all the tests you want."

He took it with a smile, pocketing it with a you-know-me-far-too-well look. "But really, how did it happen?"

Unable to evade the question any longer, the nine-year-old girl began to recount the day's happenings.

* * *

Ichigo sat up in bed. She felt lightheaded, dizzy—but that wasn't really surprising, considering she was meeting Kish and Reta in the woods today. That always made her ecstatic.

But when she kicked off the covers and stood up, she wobbled and nearly fell. Gripping the footboard for support, she slowly made her way to the full-length mirror on the wall.

The light had a strange quality. It made her look like she had silvery wings on her back. _But that's absurd!_

Tentatively she reached up, her eyes glued to her reflection. When her lookalike's fingers reached the strange appendage, she felt nothing. Just air.

She sighed with relief and changed out of her nightgown.

* * *

"And then, when I came here—I don't know exactly when it happened. But when I looked into the water"—the red-haired princess gestured to the pool at her feet—"I saw the same thing, except this time the wings looked much more substantial, more real. I turned and—they _were_ real. I could see them; I could feel them."

The two boys stood in silence, regarding the wings that made their companion look even more like an angel than usual.

"So—" Ichigo finally broke the silence, uncomfortable with them both staring at her. "Kish, is Reta coming today?"

"No, she had le—I mean, she had lots of things to do." _Crap! I almost said that she had lessons. If Retasu really was Reta, a common girl, she'd hardly be taking lessons! Her being seen in that dress the first time was bad enough—lucky neither of them caught on._

"Oh. Okay," Ryou replied when his sister failed to respond.

"Well, shall we go pick strawberries anyway?" suggested Kish cheerfully. "I can always bring some back for Reta." A sudden idea struck him, born of Ryou's disappointed tone. Grinning mischievously, the green-haired boy added, "She'll be glad to know _you_ missed her."

As he'd calculated, the blonde turned his face away—but not so fast that the other two didn't catch the blush on his cheeks.

_A/N: What happened with this chapter was that I suddenly had this idea. I know it doesn't have much to do with the main plot—yet. But I really like going back in time to characters' childhoods. It's fun to write about when they were all innocent and pure. Next chapter will be more Masaya-centric: either another flashback like this one, or in the present (during tournament day)._


	4. Two in the Forest, A Fateful Date

_A/N: Sorry if you've been waiting on this fic! It seemed less popular than the others, so I put my time into those. But here's the next chapter, at last; forgive me for anything that contradicts whatever I may have written previously._

Chapter Four: Two in the Forest, A Fateful Date

At seven years of age, Prince Masaya knew his place—it had been clarified for him on several counts, by several people; if he'd had any doubts at all, they'd have gladly corrected him.

His parents—the king and queen of Seashell Cove—told him his place was that of "the honorable, rightful heir to the throne." They never really elaborated on the meaning of this, insisting that it was self-explanatory.

His instructors believed his place was—depending on what they instructed him _in_—either in the special palace classrooms or out on the practice courts. None of them seemed to be able to grasp the idea that the young prince might have wanted to do anything else—anything that wasn't chosen for him.

And his sister—yes, even his I-don't-care-about-royal-duties _younger sister_ had an opinion on this matter—Princess Minto insisted that her brother's place was in the palace, obeying orders (who was in charge here anyway?) and doing his duty as the kingdom's only prince. Of course, the slightly-bratty girl mostly pursued this viewpoint because it meant that she deflected all pressure from herself to her brother.

There was only one person who didn't lecture the prince about royal duties. And after today, if he managed to tell the girl the only secret he'd ever kept from her, her attitude would likely change as well.

* * *

The dark-haired boy—for, despite his royal lineage, Masaya was still a child like any other—pulled on his navy-blue oiled cloak. Checking in the mirror, he made sure that it cast shadows over his face so that he couldn't be recognized. With more than a little hidden excitement, the heir of Seashell Cove headed out into the rain.

His destination was the nearby merchant town, named Port Conch—just like its seaport.

* * *

Seashell Cove was by the sea—the Sapphirus Sea, an excellent venue for trade.

Of the many seaports in the kingdom, Port Conch was the most well-known. The many storefronts were slightly faded but in better condition than many people's dwellings (especially peasants'). Of all the towns and villages in the kingdom, this one was by far the best.

All the wealthiest seamen did their selling and trading here; Port Conch was known all over the kingdom for its prosperity. It was also infamous for its outrageous prices, but the trading goods were high-quality, and the port's currency was of higher value than any other in Seashell Cove.

The cloaked prince moved quietly, unnoticed, through the bustling town. Amazing aromas and merchant's cries greeted him with every step he took. Everything here seemed calculated to overload the senses. In fact, not even cold, aloof Princess Minto was immune to the exciting environment. The few times she'd been coaxed into coming, she had returned home with a much lighter purse (figuratively speaking, of course; no self-respecting noble lady would carry her money on her person) and many intriguing new belongings.

Calmly the dark-haired boy walked on, barely taking in the bustling businesses, more anxious than he let on. _Where is she? We agreed—__ It wasn't so much worry for her safety as selfish concern. He feared that if he didn't tell her today, he'd never get up the courage again._

"Hi, Aoyama-kun!" chirped a small redheaded girl. She was sitting on the steps of one of the town's few sweets shops, her vivid hair hidden under a coarse-quality cloak. For a moment, the simple sight of her sweet, round face lifted Masaya's spirits.

_Of course—I should have known she'd be here. Not only does Ichigo love sweets, but her family owns this shop._ "Hello, Ichigo. How are you?"

"Great! Come on, let's go!" Eagerly she grabbed his hand and pulled him towards the forest.

* * *

Carefully jumping over sticks and dodging trees, the two children raced through the woods happily. It was the middle of summer—though the rain would lead one to believe otherwise—and both looked forward to picking some blackberries; hopefully the recent showers hadn't ruined them all.

Hand in hand, the boy and girl finally slowed as they approached the wild "garden" they regarded as sacred. For only here were they free: free of all their heavy secrets, free to be themselves, free to enjoy the day together.

"How's business?" Masaya asked politely, knowing his friend was extremely concerned with her family's shop's welfare.

"Not bad," replied Ichigo, who knew her companion wasn't as interested in economics as she was.

Reaching into his pocket, the prince reassured himself that _the object_ he'd brought along was still inside. "Ne, Ichigo, it's your birthday, isn't it?"

Her brown eyes lit up. "You remembered!"

"Of course I did. Happy sixth, Ichigo-hime." Not noticing the happy flush on his best friend's cheeks, the dark-haired boy pulled out a delicate gold-work necklace. "Anyone else would tell you this is too mature for you, so you should probably save for a few years. But I think once you're ten, no one will object to your wearing it."

Curiously the girl tilted her head as she took the beautiful gift, regarding the giver more warily than she had in years. "Where did you get something like this, Aoyama-kun? It must have cost a fortune!" Silently her companion groaned. _For such an adorably thickheaded girl, she _would _have to get suspicious now of all times!_

Taking a deep breath, Prince Masaya made up his mind to confess the truth. "Ichigo... there's something I haven't told you. About me."

Even more on her guard than before, the redhead clasped her palms together, the way she always did when anticipating bad news. "Well...?" she prompted patiently when the boy fell silent.

Just then, two black-clad figures appeared from behind the trees. "So this is where you get to, Masaya-sama," reproached one as the other gracefully moved toward Ichigo, who instinctively closed her hand, hiding the necklace from sight. "You should know by now, there's nowhere you can go where we, your royal bodyguards, won't find you."

"Masaya... _sama? _Royal bodyguards?" repeated the girl, jumping to her feet. Her dark cloak swished around her legs, revealing a dainty gold-on-white embroidered hem. Too fancy and costly for a sweetshop family's daughter. She whirled to face her friend. "Does that mean... You're...?!"

"Prince Masaya-sama of Seashell Cove," sneered the advancing black-clad man. Surreptitiously the redhead slid the golden pendant into the inside pocket of her cloak as he reached her. "And who might you be, little girl?" A flash, and soon there was a dagger at the child's throat.

Contrary to everyone's expectations, shy, sweet Ichigo merely looked contemptuous. "None of _your_ business. But I can tell you that my family will be very displeased if they hear how you've treated me." There was a razored edge to her sweet voice, one that no innocent child's speech should have.

"Oh? And just who do you think you are? Surely not... Princess Ichigo of the Great Kingdom?" Both guards burst into laughter.

The girl's face twisted, but she said nothing.

A blade whistled by, knocking the knife out of Ichigo's captor's hand.

A third black-hooded figure stepped out of the shadows. Scooping up the redhead—the other guard seemed to shrink away from this intimidating newcomer—he warned, "I'm sure it would be better for all of us if you didn't _manhandle_ my sister so." A characteristic flick of his hair, and the hood fell away.

Relieved, Ichigo wrapped her arms tightly around the blonde's neck. "Ryou-nii!" Hiding her face in his shoulder, she whispered, "I was so _scared_..."

Tenderly her brother drew the young princess's hood over her vibrant hair. "Don't worry anymore. I'm here now; it's all good," he reassured her affectionately.

"Ichigo!" Aoyama tried to step forward, but a guard immediately placed himself between his young charge and the dubious brother-sister duo. "Are you—could it be that-?"

The redhead barely spared her now-ex-best friend a second glance. "I don't want to see you ever again, _Prince Masaya-sama_. Do you hear me?" _Because if I do, then... well... I don't think I'd be able to keep from forgiving you. But I really shouldn't. You lied to me for years about who you really are. So it's best for all of us if I never see you again._

* * *

The days that followed had been painful, as the playful princess had been bereft of her favorite amusements. Still stuck in the royal family's seaside mansion in Seashell Cove's Compromise Territory, her usual amusements weren't available. Ryou and King Keiichiro were busy with who knows what; Queen Zakuro had stately duties that she felt must be prioritized over her adopted daughter. Alone in the castle, there wasn't much for a just-six-year-old girl to do.

Prince Masaya tried to see her a few times, always wanting to apologize and make up. He'd been turned away by the servants on three consecutive days before his guards got wise and managed to keep him from leaving the castle altogether.

* * *

"I still think a tournament is a really st—_unintelligent_ way to decide who we must marry," Ichigo murmured to her brother.

The blonde shook his head. "You know that I agree with you—but Mother does not. And neither do King Pai and King Deep Blue. At this point, just trying to have the tournament cancelled might cause a war among the kingdoms."

"I _know_—I don't sleep through politics _every_ day. Sometimes I actually pay attention."

"Oh, you do? I wouldn't know—I'm always too busy _taking notes_ to see whether or not you're still awake."

Even throughout their easy sibling banter, the prince and princess of the Great Kingdom managed to keep politely interested looks on their faces as King Keiichiro—who knew how Queen Zakuro had managed to pull him from his laboratory?—began to go over the official rules of the tournament.

* * *

"... May the best nobleman win," finished the king. A quick glance at his heirs made him proud; though they must be bored, it didn't show at all in their body language.

The two visiting princes were already glaring at each other, competitive male-dominance auras out and rapidly expanding. Princess Ichigo pulled her brother over to talk to Princess Retasu, ignoring his clear discomfort with her plan. She didn't cast a single glance at the heirs of Seashell Cove, and neither did Prince Ryou: while it may have taken the redhead a while to remember Prince Masaya, the blonde never forgot anyone who made his sister unhappy.

Suddenly Ichigo let go of her brother's hand and hurried over to where the two princes were waiting to enter the arena for the first test.

Aoyama's heart leapt. His childhood friend was still so charmingly sure of herself, and she had the real grace and dignity of a young lady now. For a moment he allowed himself to hope that she wanted to make up.

Pointedly not looking at the boy she felt had betrayed her and her family, the redhead nervously bunched up her skirt in her hands. "Prince Kisshu—"

He seemed to read her thoughts. "I don't need luck, Ko—Princess Ichigo. But thanks anyway. So I take it that you wouldn't mind if I won?"

Her brown eyes dropped to the floor. "I don't want to get married just because my fiancé won a stupid tournament," she confessed. "But as Princess of the Great Kingdom, I must, right?" Then her eyes met his. "But if it's you, I won't mind so much." Before her courage could desert her, the redheaded princess rose up on tiptoe and kissed the favored prince on the cheek. "For luck," she managed to whisper before hurrying to take shelter behind her brother.

Prince Masaya's glare gained intensity, but Prince Kisshu now seemed unperturbed.

"Let us commence the tournament!" announced the king.

_A/N: Reviews would be nice, so that I know whether I should continue publishing chapters of this fic, or just keep it for my own entertainment.  
_


	5. A Quick Resolution

_A/N: First of all, I want to warn all of you that I myself wasn't too pleased with this chapter. It's kind of rushed, and maybe a little inconsistent with what I've previously written. But I wanted to finish the story before I completely lost interest in it, and it doesn't seem to all that popular either, so... Forgive me._

_Oh, yeah, thanks to **SonicXMinagirl** for pointing out Ichigo's hypocrisy last chapter. I didn't realize it at the time. And (I can't remember if I PM'ed you back) yes, their speech is formal because they're royalty._

Chapter Five: A Quick Resolution

The redheaded princess gasped yet again, digging her nails painfully into her palms. Only a too-painful awareness of the royals around here kept her from jumping up and screaming. That said, though, Princesses Retasu and Minto seemed to be just as tense.

Well, Princess Retasu more than Princess Minto—after all, it was the green-haired young lady's brother who was losing badly, out in the arena.

Yes, that was right. Prince Kisshu was losing badly.

"That's it, Onii-sama," muttered the blue-haired princess. "Just keep it up, though I must admit I'm not fond of the idea of having to marry the incompetent _prince_ you're up against right now."

"Kisshu-nii..." whispered Retasu, tears forming in her big, round blue eyes. Prince Ryou noticed, not for the first time, how different they were from her brother's slanted amber ones.

Suddenly, Princess Ichigo couldn't take it anymore. Springing to her feet, she ignored the warning glances from both her adoptive parents as she grabbed the golden pendant Prince Ryou had given her just that morning and shouted, obeying some impulse she didn't understand,

"MEW MEW STRAWBERRY—METAMORPHOSIS!"

Her brother's eyes lit up excitedly, eager to observe firsthand the outcome of the latest of a series of experiments he'd tried on the princess of the Great Kingdom.

In the blink of an eye, Princess Ichigo stood between the sparring princes. "Father—King Keiichiro. Mother—Queen Zakuro. May I express my opinion on the essence of this tournament?"

The king, who wasn't nearly as dumbfounded as his wife, replied first. "Yes, please do."

"While I recognize that a series of tests might be a perfectly reasonable method of deciding which prince is more _competent_, I must admit that I firmly believe that competency as a royal should not determine whether a prince has the right to request a princess's hand in marriage. Father, Mother, you have a happy marriage—do you think it fair to arrange my marriage, and my brother's, based on the outcome of a day's competition between two princes?"

"I take it you have a preference, then, as to which prince you will marry?"

"With all due respect, Mother, I do." To everyone's surprise, that was known-to-be-flawlessly-courteous Prince Ryou speaking.

"Your opinion is noted, though I was speaking to—" Queen Zakuro cut herself off as she noted how carefully her daughter helped Prince Kisshu up, how worriedly the girl fussed over his various injuries. "Oh, I see."

Princess Ichigo straightened, still supporting her childhood friend. "Yes, Mother, I have a preference. If I may, I would infinitely prefer to be married to Prince Kisshu of kingdom name. I knew him when we were just small children, and we understand each other." _Oops! Why can I never keep my mouth shut? Way to go, princess, they'll never agree now._

King Keiichiro looked at the young couple, his stern expression softening when he saw the love they clearly had for each other. "I suppose that is acceptable, provided that your brother marries Princess Minto. After all, the agreement was that—"

"What?" The blond prince looked affronted. Then, noticing his little sister's despair at the thought of having to marry Prince Masaya, he relented. "I can live with that."

"Then the weddings are still on as planned; that is what is most important."

Prince Masaya looked as though he wanted to protest, but Princess Ichigo and Prince Kisshu—in fact, everyone except for himself—had already left the arena.

* * *

_Three months later, just after the royal weddings_

"Princess Ichigo?"

"Prince Masaya, what is it?"

"May I have a word with you?" Noticing Ryou's glare, the dark-haired teenager added hastily, "In private, if possible?"

"I suppose so."

As soon as they were out of earshot of the others, Masaya launched into his speech. "I know you never really forgave me for what happened when we were children. And it may be inadequate, but I hope you'll believe when I tell that I really am very sorry."

"It was childish and hypocritical of me, I suppose. After all, I myself hadn't told you of my true identity. And actually, I am quite sure I actually forgave you years ago. So please don't think my request to marry Prince Kisshu had anything to do with that! It's just... He and I were really close. In fact, he once jokingly asked me to marry him, and I said I would."

"A childhood promise, huh? How about ours?" There was no malice or anger in his tone.

"The one to always be friends? I think we efficiently broke that vow, but... I wouldn't mind trying again. If you'll forgive _me_."

"Of course I will."

"In that case, congratulations on your marriage, Masaya-kun!"

"Same to you, Ichigo-hime."

* * *

_Two years later_

"Remind me why we named him after that awful king?" Despite how strongly he felt on this subject, King Kisshu of kingdom name kept his voice low, not wanting to wake his firstborn, infant son and heir.

"Masaya is not an awful king, and you know it."

"I beg to differ."

"He's no worse than you are. In fact, I think I'd rather my son took after Masaya than you."

"That's not what you were saying two years ago, when you _begged_ to be allowed to marry me."

"Oh, let it alone, Kish."

The golden-eyed young man leaned over, pressing a light kiss to his wife's nose. "As you wish, Koneko-chan."

_A/N: __If you remember the wings from chapter three, let's just say (in case it wasn't clear enough) that it was one of Ryou's experiments. (Not sure if that contradicts what I wrote in that chapter—I hope it doesn't—but that's my final explanation.)_

_Sorry if it was terrible, which I personally think it was.__ Thanks for sticking with me, if you're reading this, and I hope you'll review. (Criticism is accepted—especially if it's of the constructive variety.)_


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